Combination casing head and blowout preventer



Jan. 23, 1934. G. A. HUMASON ET AL 1,944,240

COMBINATION CASING HEAD AND BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filed Jan. 3, 1930 2 Sheets-$heet l Zlwuentou Jan 23, 1934. HUMASON E AL 1,944,240

COMBINATION CASING HEAD AND BLOW-OUT PREVENTER Filfid Jan. 3, 19:50v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmntow Ama JMMFW Patented Jan. 23, 1934 COMBINATION CASING HEAD AND BLOW- s OUT PREVENTER Granville A. Humason and James A. Logan,

. Houston, Tex.

' Application January 3,1930. Serial No. 418,371

' 4' Claims. (Cl. 255-1) This invention relates to. new and useful improvements in a combination casing head and blow-out preventer.

One object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described for forminga fluid tight joint between the upper end of the easing set in a well bore and an inner pipe or tubing in the bore. The apparatus may be used for forming a blow-out preventer, in drilling, when gas pressure is encountered in the well, or maybe employed for forming a fluid tight joint bea device of the character described that may be readily attached to or detached from the casing, and which may also be utilized for sustaining the drill stem from the casing.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus as applied in. use.

Figure 2 showsa cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. w

Figure 3 shows aside elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus as detached from ,thecasing head proper,

Figure 4 shows a plan view thereof, and Figure 5,.shows a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55' of Figure 3.

- Referring now more particularly to the draw ings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates the casing set in a well bore and having a head 2 screwed thereon provided with one or more outlet lines, as 3. As illustrated there is a tubular drill stem, shown in the casing, whose sections 4 are shown connected by the long polygonal, tubular couplings 5. The drill stem may be rotated by any type of rotary drillinafter stated.

left hand threads 6, there is a tubular housing 7 whichhas an inside, inwardly projecting ring 8 screwed up into the lower end thereof. Fitted within the housing 7 and resting on said inwardly projecting ring 8 there is a packing sleeve designated generally by the numeral-9 and whose ends are anchored to the upper and lower ferrules 10, 11. Each ferrule 10, 11 has an annular row of perforations, or keyways, as 12, 13 therethrough, through which the material, as rubber, of the packing sleeve proper is moulded, and the outer ends of said key ways terminate in the annular end channels, as 14, 15 into which the material of the packing dovetails, as moulded to securely anchor said ferrules inplace.

Surrounding the sleeve 9 there is a sleeve like bearing ring 16 whose lower end is seated in an internal, annular raceway 1'7, in the housing 7. Roller bearings 18 are disposed between the ring 16. and the housing 7. The inside of the ring 16 converges upwardly and thus conforms to the external upwardly taper of the sleeve 9.

Screwed into the upper end of the housing 7 there is a gland 19 having the internal annular flange 20 which overlaps the ring 16, and inter- 0 posed between said ring and flange 'there are the antifriction bearings 21 i Within the gland 19 and screwed onto .the upper end of the packing sleeve 9 there is spider 22 whose inner side is flush within the inner side of said sleeve 9, and thus fits around the coupling 5, and whose lower end abuts the flange 20. This spider has an external annular groove 23 there 3 around and a set screw 24 is threaded through the gland l9 and projects into said groove and prevents the detachment of the spider and packing. sleeve 9 from the assembly. The spider 19' has an upwardly flared seat 25 to receive the wedge shaped slips 26, for a purpose toibe here- In drilling the'sli-ps 26 are not used and the drill stem 4 is rotated in the usual way from the rotary drilling machine. The upper joint of said drill stem is commonly known as the kelly joint,

or grief stem and isof the same cross section contour as the coupling 5. While drilling this kelly joint is in operative connection with, and

is driven by, the rotary table of said machine, and

the packing sleeve 9, the bearing ring 16, and the spider-22 rotate with the stem. In case gas pressure is encountered the apparatus described will act as a blow out preventer'to prevent the gas from blowing out, unrestrained, around the drill stem, and said gas may be controlled and relieved from the well through one or both of the When it is desired to withdraw the drill stem from the bore the keys 2'7, may be inserted into registering keyways 28 between the gland 19 and the spider 22 and upon turning the stem to the right the housing? will be turned with it and unscrewed from the head 2 and upon the withdrawal of the stem from the bore, the drill bit will engage the lower end of the packing sleeve 9 and lift the preventer apparatus off with it. During this operation the slips 26 should. be placed in the seat 25 so as to catch the stem in case it-should be accidentally dropped.

In case it is desired to pump the well, the pump tubing may be substituted in the place of the stem 4, or in case there is suflicient pressure in the well to cause the well to flow without pumping a flow line may be substituted for. the drill stem 4, and the well then swabbed, in the usual manner, to start the flow of the oil; such pump tubing, or fiow line will usually have the sections thereof connected by cylindrical couplings, rather than polygonal couplings and in such case the sleeve 9 and spider 22 should be formed to fit snugly around the coupling. When the flow line or pump tubing is locatedin the well the upper coupling thereof should be located in the sleeve Q and the apparatus will then act as a casing head and the oil will be deliveredby the pump or flow line to the ground surface while the gas pressure may be relieved through the line, or lines 3.

The slips 26 -may be used in suspending the flow line or pump tubing, at -a selected location in the well and may also be used for suspending the drill stem in case it be desired to use the same for such purpose.

forming a seal between an outer casing and any inner tubular. stringwithin said casing, and including a tubular housing on the upper end of and formed to surround said string, said spider the casing and having an inside seat, a gland on said housing, having an inside annular flange, a packing sleeve in said seat and formed to surround said string, a bearing ring beneath said flange around said sleeve, a spider associated with the housing above said sleeve and formed to surround said string, said gland and spider being provided one with an annular groove and the other with a projection which works in said groove.

2. A casing head and blow out preventer for forming a seal between an outer casing and an inner tubular string within said casing, and including a tubular housing mounted above the upper end of the casing, a bearing ring in the housing, said ring and housing having an inside seat, a packing sleeve in said seat and formed to surround said string, a 'spider associated with the housing above, and connected to, said sleeve having a downwardly converging slip seat around said string.

3. A casing head and blowout preventer for forming a seal between acasing in a well bore and an inner tube in the casing formed of sections connected byenlarged couplings; a housing at the upper end of the casing, a packing sleeve in the housing, a retainer at the upper end of the housing above said sleeve, said sleeve and retainer being formed to fit closely about one of said couplings, a bearing ring in the housing around said sleeve, said retainer, sleeve and ring being rotatable independent of the housing.

'4. A casing head and blowout preventer comprising a tubular head on the upper end of a well 110 casing, a tubular housingdetachably securedto the head and having the inside raceway, a sleeve like bearing ring whose lower end is seated in said raceway, roller bearings between the ring and housing, a packing sleeve within and surrounded 7 by' said bearing ring, a gland screwed within the upper end of the housing and having an inside annular flange which overlaps said bearing ring, a tubular spider within said gland whose inner side is flush with the inner side of said In packing sleeve, said spider abutting the upper endof said sleeve, an annular abutment carried by the housing and abutting the lower end of said packing sleeve, said gland and spider being provided one with anannular groove and the other with a projection which works in said groove, whereby the gland and spider are permitted to rotate independently but are retained against separation. 

